Unfortunately, we weren’t able to make it to the Aging Well workshop on January 4th.
Feel free to review the following story of how events unfolded that evening, topics discussed, stories shared, and the beautiful live artwork that we witnessed.
Feel free to review the following story of how events unfolded that evening, topics discussed, stories shared, and the beautiful live artwork that we witnessed.
Aging Well Workshop Notes
Aging Well Workshop
that happened on January 4th, 2017
@ the Sunset Community Centre
Community Partner:
South Vancouver Neighborhood House
by Vanessa
Every community has its own unique set of opportunities and challenges that impact the health of older adults. By visiting various small towns and big cities within British Columbia, BC Healthy Communities has not only been able to share their knowledge surrounding aging well, but they have also have had the chance to learn the different needs of older adults in each community.
BC Healthy Communities team members Michelle and Jen recently made the trip to Vancouver to host and Aging well workshop with the South Vancouver Neighborhood House at the beautiful Sunset Community Centre.
To the delight of everyone, the room was packed to the rafters with men and women ages 50+ eager to discuss the impact of housing, transportation, social connectedness, physical & mental health, and finances on their ability to sustain a high quality of life throughout their senior years.
The first half of the evening saw four guest speakers share their knowledge through presentations on the five main topics of health (housing, transportation, finances, social connectedness, and physical health).
Each speaker shared their expertise about the unique challenges facing those in the city of Vancouver (yes, housing affordability was a hot topic) and how to navigate the difficulties and grab the opportunities available to older adults on a municipal, provincial, and federal level.
One common theme evident throughout every presentation was the interconnectedness of each area discussed.
Those taking part in the workshop noticed early on that if someone was missing one of the five areas discussed, it had a major impact on their opportunity to maintain a high quality of life.
After the presentation piece of the workshop, the room was divided into five different spaces to represent the areas spoken about during the presentations. Each space had the expert on hand to answer questions and a representative from BCHC or the South Vancouver Neighbourhood House to build dialogue about the main areas discussed.
Common themes that Vancouver residents were keen to share included their new understanding that aging in place does not necessarily mean living in the same home, but potentially relocating to a space that services their needs but still is in the same small community that they feel comfortable in.
Considering the participants that attended the workshop were diverse in age and culture, there were many conversations about the importance of maintaining friendships with youth and young adults to maintain social connections and culture within families and communities.
Those who attended were able to bring home follow-up information about the resources available to them through various non-profits, municipal, provincial, and federal governments. We are incredibly grateful to have partnered with the incredible South Vancouver Neighbourhood House, for the volunteers that gave their time to make sure this event was a success, and to the community members that took the opportunity to work towards aging well individually and as a community.
BC Healthy Communities looks forward to the upcoming workshop that the South Vancouver Neighborhood House is putting on as a second part to this series.
Follow-up resources:
SVNH:
South Vancouver Neighbourhood House
Sunset Community Centre: http://www.mysunset.net
Food Guide: click here
Financial Advice: click here
Transportation: Email Jeannie@southvan.org or click here
that happened on January 4th, 2017
@ the Sunset Community Centre
Community Partner:
South Vancouver Neighborhood House
by Vanessa
Every community has its own unique set of opportunities and challenges that impact the health of older adults. By visiting various small towns and big cities within British Columbia, BC Healthy Communities has not only been able to share their knowledge surrounding aging well, but they have also have had the chance to learn the different needs of older adults in each community.
BC Healthy Communities team members Michelle and Jen recently made the trip to Vancouver to host and Aging well workshop with the South Vancouver Neighborhood House at the beautiful Sunset Community Centre.
To the delight of everyone, the room was packed to the rafters with men and women ages 50+ eager to discuss the impact of housing, transportation, social connectedness, physical & mental health, and finances on their ability to sustain a high quality of life throughout their senior years.
The first half of the evening saw four guest speakers share their knowledge through presentations on the five main topics of health (housing, transportation, finances, social connectedness, and physical health).
Each speaker shared their expertise about the unique challenges facing those in the city of Vancouver (yes, housing affordability was a hot topic) and how to navigate the difficulties and grab the opportunities available to older adults on a municipal, provincial, and federal level.
One common theme evident throughout every presentation was the interconnectedness of each area discussed.
Those taking part in the workshop noticed early on that if someone was missing one of the five areas discussed, it had a major impact on their opportunity to maintain a high quality of life.
After the presentation piece of the workshop, the room was divided into five different spaces to represent the areas spoken about during the presentations. Each space had the expert on hand to answer questions and a representative from BCHC or the South Vancouver Neighbourhood House to build dialogue about the main areas discussed.
Common themes that Vancouver residents were keen to share included their new understanding that aging in place does not necessarily mean living in the same home, but potentially relocating to a space that services their needs but still is in the same small community that they feel comfortable in.
Considering the participants that attended the workshop were diverse in age and culture, there were many conversations about the importance of maintaining friendships with youth and young adults to maintain social connections and culture within families and communities.
Those who attended were able to bring home follow-up information about the resources available to them through various non-profits, municipal, provincial, and federal governments. We are incredibly grateful to have partnered with the incredible South Vancouver Neighbourhood House, for the volunteers that gave their time to make sure this event was a success, and to the community members that took the opportunity to work towards aging well individually and as a community.
BC Healthy Communities looks forward to the upcoming workshop that the South Vancouver Neighborhood House is putting on as a second part to this series.
Follow-up resources:
SVNH:
South Vancouver Neighbourhood House
Sunset Community Centre: http://www.mysunset.net
Food Guide: click here
Financial Advice: click here
Transportation: Email Jeannie@southvan.org or click here
